One of the longest-running mysteries among horror aficionados everywhere is the status of the Salem’s Lot remake, which has been sitting on a shelf gathering dust for well over a year at this point.
Writer and director Gary Dauberman called action in the summer of 2021, with additional reshoots taking place in the early months of the following year. A release date was scheduled for Sept. 9 of 2022, before it was delayed for seven months to April of this year, only to be pulled from the calendar altogether and placed into limbo.
Naturally, rumors abounded that Warner Bros. was less than thrilled with the end product, but when widely-panned Stephen King adaptations like Pet Sematary: Bloodlines are still capable of releasing unimpeded and finding an audience, it didn’t really answer the question as to why Salem’s Lot was being actively withheld from the public.
Per Variety, 14 months on from its initially-intended arrival, Salem’s Lot could finally find salvation as a Max original. The outlet notes that source has claimed the lengthy delay “is not a reflection of the film’s quality,” but that the ongoing strikes may have forced David Zaslav’s hand to ensure the pipeline of high-profile streaming exclusives continues rolling on.
A studio spokesperson noted that “no decision has been made about the film’s future distribution plans,” but it’s at least a little bit heartening to know that Salem’s Lot hasn’t been completely forgotten about after being shunted to the sidelines, nor is it line to get the Batgirl treatment, either.
Published: Nov 1, 2023 01:58 am